to govern His Church. This system was fully carried out; and so, my Brethren, our land became a Christian land, the heritage of the Church of CHRIST, and from sea to sea there was no worship but hers :—no denominations of Christians known any more than there are in the Bible, but one only visible society acknowledging and practising the law of CHRIST. Now suppose that in process of time in a particular parish iniquity abounded, and the love of many waxed cold: I will not say through whose fault,-it might be the minister's, it might be the people's, or more likely the fault of both together. And then, suppose GoD stirred up the hearts of some to feel that they were living a godless life, to desire to return to God, and to awaken their neighbours to their sinfulness. How ought such men to act? Surely, every one will say, they should pray to God that HE would awaken both minister and people; they should be constant in attendance at His House, interceding with GOD to have mercy both on themselves and on those whom they saw around them living in carelessness or in sin. But what if instead of this they said,—no! the worship of the Church is not good enough for us. Its prayers, the heritage of many lands and of a thousand years, are cold and lifeless forms; its stated hours are wearisome to us, we will have a little house of our own, where we can pray with those we like best, without any form at all, and we will go about and persuade as many of our neighbours as we can to do the same. Now let me ask you, my Brethren, and answer me honestly. If even religious and sincere men should act thus; if they sought under any pretence to make two or three parties in a parish which before had been united; if they sought to awaken a true spiritual worship of GOD by dividing and separating; by setting up their own prayers against

those of the Church, and one elected by themselves as their minister to preach what doctrine they liked best, instead of CHRIST's minister, who spoke in CHRIST'S Name, and was not answerable to them at all;-in so doing, would they be doing God's work? If I know anything of the Bible, it is the Devil's work and not GOD's they would be doing; he it is and none other who has ever sought to divide the Church of CHRIST, well knowing that so long as She is united, he cannot triumph over Her. Would you know the true marks of that evil one's presence? They are not only uncleanness and idolatry, "but wrath, strife, seditions, heresies," and heresy means the choosing your own religion, "of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Brethren, these are not my words, they are the words of God's SPIRIT. Keep them therefore in mind, and cleave to that House of GOD, which is and has been among you these many hundred years. Cleave to those prayers which are not the hasty effusions of a single mind, but the out-pourings and breathings of GOD'S SPIRIT through the Saints of many lands, and many generations. Cleave likewise, not to me personally, for I am nothing, but to the minister who comes neither selfappointed, nor appointed by you, but appointed by GOD according to His Church's laws, and to whom in his proportion the promise of CHRIST descends to bind and to loose. Come in lowliness, in repentance, in faith, and in love, and partake of the One Bread and the One Cup, whereby we are made to drink into One SPIRIT.

T. W. A.

SERMON LIII.

THE HOLINESS OF CONSECRATED PLACES.

PART III.

Rogation Wednesday.

ST. MARK XI. 17.

MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL

NATIONS.

IN former discourses on this subject, I have pointed out to you the sanctity of consecrated places by ancient and universal consent of men, as well as by direct command of GOD; and as a consequence of that sanctity, I have shown you likewise that prayers offered up to GOD in spirit and in truth within such places, have greater promises of being heard and answered by HIM than any other. But there is a third and a very important branch of the subject remaining, viz. why we meet together in such places; and what demeanour is becoming in us when we do so meet. I shall now take these in their order.

And first, why do we meet together at stated times in holy places? It would seem that the answer to this question should be very easy. We meet together to offer to GOD our prayers and our praises; and the several parts of prayer and praise are,

:

first, confession to GOD of the sins of infirmity whereby we continually sully our Christian profession: to these sins of infirmity those words of St. John allude, which occur at the beginning of our service; "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us: but, if we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Next to confession would come acknowledgment of God's mercies, and petition for the continuance of them; then intercession for the whole Church, for our neighbours, friends and kinsmen, as well as for ourselves as members thereof. Now all these are parts of every Christian's reasonable service to God, and that in a twofold manner, that is, privately and publicly privately, according to our SAVIOUR'S precept, 'When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy FATHER Which is in secret; and thy FATHER Which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." But of this we have not at present occasion to speak. Publicly, according to the Apostle's injunctions, "I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings and all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." You all know that our own service fulfils to the letter these orders of St. Paul. Now all these parts of prayer and praise are addresses on our part to God; liftings up of our soul to HIM; they do not consist, directly at least, in any information or instruction which we are to gain, much less in excitement of the mind. And these are undoubtedly the primary objects for which we meet together. The Church, however, like a careful Mother, 2 1 Tim. ii. 1.

1 Matt. vi. 6.

has also provided much good food for her children, when they so meet together; for in the midst of these prayers and praises she appoints large portions of GOD'S Holy Word to be read, not leaving to the minister to select what he most fancies, (for if she did so, many portions of God's Word, specially those which rebuke the favourite sins of minister and people, might never be publicly heard,) but going thrice in the year through the whole New Testament, excepting the mysterious Book of Revelations,-twelve times in the year through the Psalms, once through almost all parts of the Old Testament. If this be not to preach the Gospel, what can those words mean? If GOD's Will be contained in His Holy Scriptures, surely the Church which so reads, not a part, but the whole of them, must declare His Will; nay, and declare it in the most solemn manner in which it can be declared, in His own words. all this you will observe quite independent of the minister's capacity or intention. Now, when we consider this, we may surely feel that those who venture to say the Gospel is not preached at Church, commit one of the most grievous sins which a man can commit, that is, they utter knowingly a most gross and wicked falsehood, and that in matters concerning GOD. I say all · such persons know very well that the Gospel is preached at Church, but because to preach the Gospel faithfully is to rebuke their sins, therefore they slander the Church instead of loving her.

And

So, then, you see the second object for which we meet, is to hear the Will of GOD in His own words; to grow in knowledge of the truth. To grow in faith and fear, and hope, and love, is the first; to grow in knowledge the second. And sure I am, not only from the promised blessings of GOD, but from the confessions of